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How to snorkel Molokini on a budget
The short answer The lowest listed Molokini prices tend to come from short small-boat trips, afternoon boats and online-only sales. Each has a catch, and the cheapest on one day may not be on the next.
On this page
Molokini is boat-only, with no beach, so there is no free way to the crater itself. The lowest listed prices tend to come from short small-boat trips, afternoon boats and online sales, and which one is cheapest changes by day. These are the cheap options and what each one leaves out. Prices come from each operator's own site and show their check date.
Short trips from Kīhei
Every boat we found at the Kīhei Boat Ramp with a Molokini trip of 3 hours or less.
Order: departure point, then our own order. Many operators sell some dates below their listed price.
| Boat | Leaves from | Length | Adult price | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redline Rafting | Kīhei | 2 or 5 h | From$129adultBefore tax and feeson Redline Rafting’s site, checked | (808) 698-5837 |
| Seafire Charters | Kīhei | 3 h | $110adultTax not statedon Seafire Charters’ site, checked | (808) 879-2201 |
| Blue Water Rafting | Kīhei | 2, 3 or 5½ h | $129adultTax not statedon Blue Water Rafting’s booking calendar, checked | (808) 879-7238 |
| Maui Snorkel Charters | Kīhei | 2 or 5 h | $129adultBefore taxon Maui Snorkel Charters’ site, checked | (808) 270-8776 |
Redline Rafting takes ages 8 and up and includes no food or drinks on the two-hour trip. Ask about wetsuits. Blue Water Rafting runs a two-hour trip with juice, water and snorkel gear, and takes no children under 4. Seafire sells by phone and email only, so ring (808) 879-2201.
One other Kīhei Boat Ramp boat is left out because it runs longer. Pro Diver Maui sets sign-in at 6:15 a.m. and returns around 10:00 a.m.
The catches:
- Maui Snorkel Charters shows a retail price and a lower online price, and the online price is before tax.
- Many operators sell some dates below their listed price, so check the calendar for your date.
- A short trip means a short day on the water, with little or no food.
Afternoon boats
Afternoon catamaran trips are among the lowest listed, such as Malolo's afternoon trip ($99.95 adult, tax not stated, on Malolo’s site, checked ) and Four Winds' ($120 adult, before tax and fees, on Maui Classic Charters’ site, checked ). The catch is Molokini itself. Malolo's page says the captain chooses between Coral Gardens and Molokini. Four Winds' page says Coral Gardens, with Molokini only occasionally. Maui Snorkeling's afternoon trip says Molokini is a rare stop. Water conditions inside the crater also change later in the day (see the Four Winds post), and crater trips run in the morning.
So an afternoon trip is a good price for a reef snorkel and a poor price if Molokini is the reason you came. Ask the operator in writing whether Molokini is promised.
Online prices and sales
Online discounts hold only until their end date. Pacific Whale Foundation's Molokini and Turtle Arches trip shows a regular price and a lower online price, and the online offer ends on Nov 30, 2026. Its row today is $119.95 adult, tax not stated, on Pacific Whale Foundation’s site, checked . Check what it says after that date. See the Pacific Whale page for what the trip includes.
The same boat can sell for a different number on a reseller's page. One reseller sells Malolo's trip below Malolo's own site. We list the operator's own price. Before you pay, confirm the number on the page you book from.
Kids and families
Free-child rules matter most for families. Pacific Whale lets children 4 and under ride free on its Turtle Arches trip. Four Winds (infants under 4) and Calypso (one child 3 and under per paying adult) also have free-child rules. See the kids guide for each boat's ages. The price comparison shows a family total.
Costs that add up
- Wetsuit rentals, such as $10 on Four Winds.
- Tax and fees on listings that print the price before tax.
- Harbor parking at Māʻalaea, which Four Winds, Calypso and Trilogy list as an extra cost.
- Adult drinks on boats that sell them.
What not to cut
Do not skip flotation. Maui Snorkel Charters includes it, Redline offers flotation belts, and Pro Diver Maui offers it on request. Weak swimmers should ask for it. Do not move your trip to the afternoon to save money if you want Molokini.
Cheaper options that are not Molokini
Shore snorkeling has no ticket price, and you bring or rent your own gear. The Maui snorkeling guide covers shore areas and what to check first. For a boat trip that does not go to Molokini, Quicksilver sells a 4.5-hour Turtle Reef morning snorkel cruise from Māʻalaea (Quicksilver's Turtle Reef cruise). We could not confirm that it is running now, so call first.
Sources and corrections
The 14 sources for this page
- Maui – Molokini Shoal (HAR 13-31) (Hawaiʻi DLNR, Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)), read . Backs: Molokini is reached by boat only; there is no beach and no facilities. · Currents may get stronger inside the cove in the afternoon.
- HAR chapter 13-257, Day-Use Mooring Rules (amended and compiled 3/15/2024) (Hawaiʻi DLNR, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR)), read . Backs: Day-use moorings allow 2.5 hours at most per vessel.
- pacwhale.com (Pacific Whale Foundation), read . Backs: Pacific Whale's Turtle Arches online price has a regular price and an offer that ends 11/30/26; children 4 and under are free; wetsuit tops are a rental.
- molokinimaui.com (Malolo), read . Backs: Malolo's afternoon trip goes to Coral Gardens or Molokini at the captain's choice; child fare; wetsuit; the same trip is sold by resellers at other prices.
- fourwindsmaui.com (Maui Classic Charters), read . Backs: Four Winds afternoon trip goes to Coral Gardens, occasionally Molokini; wetsuit rental and tax and fees extra; the morning trip rents wetsuits, harbor parking is an extra cost, and infants under 4 are free.
- mauisnorkeling.com (Maui Snorkeling (Lani Kai II)), read . Backs: Maui Snorkeling (Lani Kai II) afternoon trip: prices vary by date; Coral Gardens, 'on rare occasions' Molokini.
- redlinerafting.com (Redline Rafting), read . Backs: Redline's two-hour trip: ages 8 and up, no food or drinks, flotation belts available; ask us about wetsuits.
- bluewaterrafting.com (Blue Water Rafting), read . Backs: Blue Water Rafting's 2 Hour Molokini Express leaves Kīhei Boat Ramp; juice, water and snorkel gear included; no children under 4.
- mauisnorkelcharters.com (Maui Snorkel Charters), read . Backs: Maui Snorkel Charters: a retail price and a lower online price, price shown before tax; flotation gear included.
- prodivermaui.com (Pro Diver Maui), read . Backs: Pro Diver Maui: sign-in starts 6:15 a.m. and the boat is back around 10:00 a.m.; life vests, buoyancy belts or noodles on request.
- calypsomaui.com (Calypso), read . Backs: Calypso and Trilogy list harbor parking as an extra cost, and Calypso sells adult drinks; Calypso gives one child 3 and under free per paying adult.
- sailtrilogy.com (Trilogy Excursions), read . Backs: Trilogy lists harbor parking as an extra cost.
- quicksilvermaui.com (Quicksilver), read . Backs: Quicksilver's Turtle Reef Morning Snorkel Cruise is 4.5 hours, does not go to Molokini, and its running status needs a person's confirmation.
- seafirecharters.com (Seafire Charters), read . Backs: Seafire Charters' page lists its discounted price per person for booking direct and also says to call for rates and availability; it sells by phone and email.